


common misconceptions

by strawberimilk



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, joe and cherry: unofficial protectors of renga, langa said it's reki appreciation hours, reki and langa aren't in an established relationship (yet), timeline takes place before The Renga fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 16:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30007848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberimilk/pseuds/strawberimilk
Summary: In hindsight, Hasegawa Langa seems like someone who gets constantly tacked with labels relating to the cold, considering his personality and attitude. But upon closer inspection, those stereotypes were the furthest thing from him.Alternatively, the story functions as a short collection of people’s observations on Langa and his surprisingly warm demeanor (especially toward a certain someone.)
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 17
Kudos: 257





	common misconceptions

It starts with his mom.

There really was truth surrounding the concept that a parental figure will be the one to know first if something with their child changes; this is consistent with the way Nanako noticed the growing smile on her son’s face every time he gets a text from his phone and needs to leave the apartment for whatever reason. 

During their travel from Canada to Okinawa in Japan, she empathized with the considerable adaptation their lives were about to undergo. Transitioning to the country’s culture and lifestyle was easy, as Langa was raised with the language alongside all the stories about her hometown, but it doesn’t erase the fact that moving from one place to the next still took a huge toll. 

After all, the loss of her own husband and the loss of Langa’s dad would be the biggest reminder as to why they had to leave Canada in the first place. Not for business reasons, not for financial reasons, not for any of those superficial struggles; but instead for something more personal. 

“Mom, I think I might be home late today as well,” Langa said, tying his shoelaces at the front of the entrance and checking the time on his phone. 

“Is this about the skateboarding thing you told me again?” Nanaka asks loudly from the kitchen table, sorting through documents for her job. 

“No. Just… hanging out with my friend today, I guess,” Langa responds. 

Nanaka gets curious and finds herself walking to the entrance door as well, and notices that he wasn’t carrying his skateboard this time around. Instead, this had been the first time she saw her son all day; he was looking dressed up more than usual.

“A friend?” she quirks an eyebrow, a playful smile adorning her face.

She saw Langa stiffen a bit, before relaxing. “Hopefully more, soon,” he mumbled abashedly, before getting up from the floor and grabbing his wallet on the shoe cabinet beside the entrance. 

She leans on the door frame in their living room, watching Langa sweep off the dust from his body, before feeling a warm swell in her chest out of pride. There her son was, looking like he finally found something, and someone, that continues to make him happy. Compared to the first day of their unpacking journey, she always looked at her son in complete concern; the muted and quick conversations were something she tried so hard to overcome. But now? Nanaka could only thank whatever deities there were above for making everything work out. She’d never seen Langa look so content. 

Langa was beginning to swing open the door, before stopping and turning around. “He’s a pretty great guy… kind of dragged me to a bunch of stuff, but it’s been really fun,” he says, looking nowhere in particular, but the glee in his voice was evident. 

Nanaka’s face morphs into a genuine surprise before releasing a sigh of relief. “Is that so?”

A voice of affirmation replied.

“Then, I’m glad. You have to introduce him to me one day,” she adds cheekily. 

Langa meets her eyes and nods. “I will.”

The soft click of the door resounded within the now-empty apartment. From a mother’s perspective, nothing is more comforting than having the knowledge that her own son found his definition of happiness. She could confidently say that she hasn’t seen Langa smile to the extent that he has ever since his father took him snowboarding for the first time. 

“Ah, they grow up so fast,” she reminisces with cliché endearment, before returning back to the table to work on the things she needed to finish.

Looking at the time, she postpones cooking dinner for tomorrow, knowing that Langa is most definitely going to come home filled and satisfied already. 

—

“Alright, don’t forget midterms start soon—the whole talk—so stay on top of your work,” the teacher announced, readying to pack their belongings for dismissal.

The bell continues to ring through the hallways while students filter through the classrooms to grab their backpacks and items, chattering amongst themselves as the doors of the weekend gradually opens. Whispers of gossip made their way to their mouths before they started exchanging the most recent talk of the town of the events within the recent days. 

“Have any of you guys actually talked to the transfer student? I feel like it’s been really difficult to ask him anything,” a classmate questions, his voice lowering to avoid suspicion from others. 

“Hasegawa-kun? Hmm, I guess so. I only ever see him around Reki if that means anything,” another student piped up, fixing her notebooks into her bag.

“I mean, he’s kind of scary. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking of,” a girl from a nearby table quips. 

More and more students began entering and exiting the room for whatever purposes; some rushed to leave in order to participate in the coupon discount in the downtown karaoke building, and others weaved through several students to meet up with their friends for chit-chatting purposes. 

“Maybe we can ask Reki?” the same girl asks, spinning the pencil in her hand mindlessly.

“Ask him what?” a new voice joined.

The group talking about the mysterious transfer student and his friend jumped in surprise, and the drop of a pencil was heard. They stared at their tall classmate, confronting a pair of cold yet unbothered eyes, with his bag ready on his shoulder.

“Hasegawa-kun! Hi! We were just wondering…” the girl eyed her other friends, asking for a way out from an awkward conversation. 

The person who brought up the topic in the first place swiftly answered. “How come you’re always with Reki? Nothing against him, he’s a cool person. But I feel like you’d fit more with other people that are like your personality, you know? Reki’s a bit…” 

“He seems super opposite of you—if that makes any sense,” the girl finished for him, bending down to grab the fallen pencil on the floor. 

The implication was evident, and something about it made Langa’s face turn sour. 

“What’s wrong about it?” He asked, tilting his head in genuine confusion. 

The group felt like they stepped on the wrong landmine and a stiff pressure covered their space. It’s not as if the room became heavily thick with tension or anything, but if they had the choice to reword their suggestions better, they definitely would take up that opportunity. 

Langa continued to stand in silence, waiting for an answer.

“Nothing, really. It’s just us being surprised at how the two of you get along so well,” the other girl offers, shuffling in her seat with how inconvenient the situation became. 

Langa sighed. “If it means anything, I look up to Reki a lot. It doesn’t matter to me how opposite we are as you’ve mentioned. He’s an important friend, and that’s all that really matters,” he explained, talking through the details as if they’re long-established facts.

The boy whistled. 

“I’ve never found it a bother to spend my time with him—” Langa stopped, before continuing. “It’s more of me looking for him all the time actually.” 

The girls had been nodding along, realizing how off their assumptions were about the transfer student. They thought of Langa to be someone who didn’t meddle in with other people’s businesses or maybe had a preference to stay out of things. They didn’t expect at all for the other to come up to them personally and debunk their casual gossip talk of the day. 

“Well, speaking of which, where is Reki?” The boy perked up, brimming with the newfound knowledge about his classmate.

“At the teacher’s office. Asked me to grab his stuff on the table since he’ll be there for a while I think,” Langa said, finally making his way to the back corner of the classroom. 

Before he could gain any distance from the other group, the girl whose pencil fell on the floor called out to him. “Hasegawa-kun, sorry about that. We shouldn’t have talked about you and Reki that way.” 

The other girl nodded with fervor. “Yep! That should’ve stayed out of our business.” 

“I mean it was kind of fun talking abou—” the other boy got kicked in the ankle by one of the girls before he could finish what he was planning to say.

“We’ll drop the topic now! Sorry, go on with your day and send Reki our regards or whatever!” the girl waved, and the faint divulgences of the latest phone model were the last thing Langa heard from them after returning the gesture as well.

“I know I said we wouldn’t talk about it anymore but… it’s kinda cool how he stood up for Reki, you know?” the girl supplied, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone.

“I always saw him as the type to just ignore things and let it happen, don’t know why, just the vibes,” the boy mentioned, shrugging his shoulders while stealing a quick glance at the taller boy at the far end of the room grabbing several books. 

“You’re too nosy for your own good. It’s why you’re never going to have a girlfriend,” the girl responded, huffing an angry breath. 

“That’s another lie—” before the boy could finish his sentence, he got rudely interrupted not with a kick but with a yell from the person they were talking about earlier.

“Langa! The teacher finally let me out. Do you have my stuff?” Reiki rushed at the door, looking like he ran a marathon. 

“Reki!” Langa responded, the books and backpack ready on his shoulders on top of his own items. “I have your stuff, yeah.” 

The group noticed the other making his way to Reki, and for some reason watched the whole scene unfold instead of continuing their conversation. They couldn’t pinpoint why they felt the need to witness it, but for some reason, they did so anyway until the two fully left the classroom talking about some skateboarding jargon they hear frequently during class time. 

“A puppy.” 

“What?” the girl asks the other. 

“Langa reminds me of a puppy,” the boy clarified.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure I just saw dog ears and a wagging tail pop up when Reki called him,” the other girl exhaled a quick laugh. “It’s kind of endearing.” 

The group finally moved on from the discussion in order to focus on a new subject matter to debate about, and the far hallways of the school were filled with conversations about the most recent skating tournament as well as plans of practicing for new flips and tricks. 

—

Coming from a renowned family known for their social status, Kaoru was a man who ensured that all businesses and formalities tied to him fulfilled top-tier expectations. However, despite his strict mindset to rise to the stage of perfection, he still had a soft spot—something Kojiro would poke fun at from time to time. 

Thus, there he was standing in front of the flower shop a fellow skateboard competitor worked at in order to help support the business. The flowers present in the baskets gave the small shop life, and the overall vibe it provided gave a semblance of home. 

Kaoru liked it. 

“Cherry, what did you call me here for?” Langa questioned, outfitted with casual clothes as the weekend had only begun. 

“I need to show you something later about Adam’s techniques, and I also needed another set of eyes to help me pick out the decoration for my family’s northern estate. I would’ve asked Kojiro to come with me, but his restaurant is busy with a famous celebrity today,” Kaoru swiftly replied, eyeing the store intently already.

“And your assistants?” Langa followed suit in observing the flowers.

“I needed to get out and do something myself once in a while,” Kaoru exhaled, entering the store as the pulsing pink bracelet he wore shone in tandem. 

Langa hummed in agreement, before following along and standing to look around the options the business had to offer. 

“Good afternoon, may I ask what bundle types you offer including shipping costs?” Kaoru asks the manager, glancing back to the registrar where Shadow was stationed at. 

“Ah, hello there! Welcome to our store. And, yes, of course, right this way,” she ushered Kaoru beside the registrar to discuss the options that their store supplies in regards to the transaction requirements they provide. Shadow surprisingly offered genuine input on the benefits relevant to each package deal. 

Continuous exchanges between the three of them ensued alongside planning dates for when the items will be shipped out accordingly in order to make sure all flower-related ornaments and decorations stay fresh for whatever event they’re needed for up in the Sakurayashiki household. 

“Does the 15th sound good? We could postpone it but Sundays are a bit busy for us compared to other days,” the manager offered, looking through her clipboard of requirements.

“A customer called earlier and said they might be picking up the bouquets within the next day, so we might not be too busy on the next Sunday, manager,” Shadow explained. 

“Don’t worry about that, the 15th works,” Kaoru reassures while doing a mental run-through on what else needed to be done. Running his fingers through his bangs, he caught Langa in his peripherals still located in the same spot he last saw him in. In front of the younger boy were purple flowers stacked on a wired basket.

As the manager was busy writing down the items necessary to be transported within the country, Shadow stepped up to his job and informed Kaoru after noticing him discerning the other boy a few steps from where they were.

“Langa’s staring at asters if that’s what you’re wondering.” Shadow pointed at the purple flowers with a bright yellow disk in its middle. “They’re one of our most popular choices for newcomers—I’d see lots of guys buy those for their girlfriends,” he added with a light scoff. 

“Girlfriend?” Kaoru emphasized, his interest suddenly piqued. “Didn’t think Langa would be involved in those, but I guess he still is your run-of-the-mill high school student.” 

Shadow stared intently at him before having his face shift to a frown. “I don’t think so? Reki probably told him something, If I had to guess.” 

Kaoru was about to provide a rebuttal against what Shadow reiterated, but after looking again at Langa, who was beginning to pick out the flowers he’d been heavily drilling holes into with his eyes, a recent memory that took place a week ago from the S community resurfaced in his mind.

_“Cherry-san! That new trick you did was so cool, how did you balance the movement of your right foot when turning the corner?” Reki exclaimed, leaning into his space._

_The night was cold within the mountainous location of Crazy Rock, and other skaters were mingling discussing a potential tournament at some point within the week to get some beef in against each other. Reki was once again jotting down mental notes of people’s tips and tricks so he could advance his own skillset as well._

_“I tried asking Miya about his Casper Slide again but he just glared at me and well…” Reki chuckled, putting his arm over his head in a form of lighthearted bashfulness._

_“It’s ultimately all about momentum, and the way you time your movement as soon as you turn up the corner,” Kaoru explained, moving his foot while doing so as a means of demonstration to the younger boy on how exactly he orients himself upon the skateboard._

_A lightbulb seemed to have shone in front of Reki’s face, and he was making an “o” shape with his mouth. “Looking at it happen slowly really helps a lot, I need to be able to match the timing to what I do too.”_

_Kaoru huffs with a sense of pride in being able to successfully teach the other. Nonetheless, he recognizes as well that Reki was a person eager to learn and soak up knowledge from those around him. It was a pleasant and unique sight in a territory vying to be better than one another for the sole sake of bragging rights._

_“Cherry-san, you’re really great at explaining these types of stuff… Is it alright if I bother you more about this?” Reki asks and sets his foot on the skateboard, moving it back and forth._

_Keeping his smile to a minimum, Kaoru replies, “I don’t mind at all. But know that I can’t always give you the answer to every single thing. You’re smart enough on your own to figure some stuff out.”_

_Reki laughs for a bit before settling down with a firm upbeat face. “That’s nice to hear once in a while.”_

_Kaoru picked up on the tone and realized that Reki probably didn’t hear many compliments about these things, and genuine fascination blossomed in his chest. The other was a very supportive and methodical skater, considering the fact that he heard about how he has the capability to single-handedly craft skateboards in his spare time._

_The two created a sort of tense atmosphere, and Reki must’ve realized it as well but before he could diffuse the situation, Kaoru spoke up._

_“The shop you work at—does it take in the skateboards you create?”_

_“The shop—what—oh! No, it doesn’t,” Reki processed the question, tilting his head in wonder because of the sudden change in topics._

_“That business would really prosper if they acknowledged how you could customize skateboards. Langa told me about this the other day after I asked him where he got his skateboard from,” Kaoru elaborates, pointing to his own skateboard. “Having a specific one made to suit our preferences makes or breaks how we interact with skating as a whole.”_

_Reki stopped talking for a bit, and Kaoru looked up to see the other stare at him in awe._

_“Oh, that’s. That’s really kind of you to say, Cherry-san,” Reki replied with fiddling fingers—his voice going on the softer end of the spectrum._

_Kaoru felt like ruffling the younger’s head, feeling a sense of platonic affection like a parent would once they see their child graduating. He would never verbalize these feelings out loud to anyone, but the sentiment stands._

_“These shops really need to start paying more attention to what their employees have to offer,” Kaoru mentions, glancing toward the sky._

_Reki exhales a light laugh. “I guess so. Though I can’t say the same with Shadow’s flower’s shop. Seems like he really loves it there.”_

_“Shadow… has a flower shop?” Kaoru’s entire self paused, head whipping to Reki’s direction._

_“Ah. Yeah. He works in one.”_

_This was one of those things Kaoru knew that he shouldn’t spend time thinking over since it will hurt his head even more. It’s something he needs to accept as is, or it’ll send him spiraling into a back-and-forth neverending debate. Shadow, notorious for being an “anti-hero” within the S community with a reputation as a feared competitor, works at a flower shop. Grass is green, the planet they inhabit is round, and Shadow is a flower shop employee._

_“I see.”_

_“I really need to visit there more, the manager is really sweet and offers discounts,” Reki explains. “Every week they usually showcase a limited edition type of flower.”_

_“Hmm, that sounds interesting actually. I’ll keep that in mind just in case any business-related concerns spring up on my end,” Kaoru notes, telling Carla about the details for her to store in her data._

_“Yeah! If you do ever visit, I think their tulips are one of the best ones from what I’ve seen. Shadow’s also really cool with how he wraps bouquets, it’s surprising. I kind of bullied him the first time I saw him do it,” Reiki rambled on, beginning to use his hands to communicate his points._

_“I’ll add that to the list I’ll ask about, if ever.”_

_“Cool, cool! Their asters are my personal favorite though. But then I guess there are also the irises my sisters mentioned before. But for you, Cherry-san, I guess you’d enjoy the good old cherry blossoms?”_

_Kaoru smiled. “Yeah, I guess I would. I’ll have to live up to my brand after all.”_

_“Yeah, I thought so,” Reiki grinned cheekily, beginning to stretch his arms behind his head._

_The two continued to talk, before having to state their goodbyes since Langa called out for Reki’s attention about school concerns._

_Kaoru thinks back to his interactions with the other and thought of how pleasant Reki was; he knew how to get the conversation flowing and would know what interesting points to bring up that the other person could easily join in. He’ll definitely put in the effort to teach more things he knows about skateboarding to the younger._

The soft bell at the front door of the shop shook him out of his stupor of remembering a previous occurrence, and he blinked back again at Langa collecting a handful of the flowers he had been staring at while waving back Shadow who was concerned by the sudden silence. 

Asters.

It clicked. 

_Of course_ , Kaoru thought. 

“Reki didn’t have to tell him anything,” Kaoru finally replies, providing closure to Shadow’s earlier suggestion. 

Shadow looked at him weirdly, waiting for context that he’ll never get. 

Kaoru makes the connection in his head, and once again finds himself amazed by the things he discovers from his fellow skateboard members. Langa, who seemed to be the type to only be fixated on things concerning skateboarding, was surprisingly attentive to small details that Kaoru wouldn’t bother keeping in the back of his head.

“...Or maybe _because_ it was Reki,” Kaoru mumbles under his breath.

“What?” Shadow asks out loud again, his face desperately spelling out a need for an explanation to what Kaoru’s been implying.

“Nothing. I’ll be finishing the discussion with your manager,” Kaoru responds, fully dropping the matter at hand and moving on to what he was here for in the first place. 

—

Joe would say that he’s a good judge of character. It’s how he’s managed to be successful in life; it wasn’t the result of his own perseverance and aspirations alone, but it’s also thanks to all the help from those who he trusted and learned from. 

Yet, to his left involved a scene where Langa was staring down a group with unmoving steely eyes and a face that meant serious business. 

It’s the same Langa that prefers to stare off into space and nod along to the person talking to him, sharing some opinions here and there. The same Langa that usually had the furthest aura from someone intimidating (especially once all the times some random skater would be overtly forward when challenging him to a beef is taken into account). The same Langa that would be seen trailing Reki’s steps whenever. 

That’s the Langa currently standing in front of a few members for some odd reason that Joe has no idea what the origin is for to have that kind of scene to take place. 

He told himself he needs to start reevaluating how he sees other people, especially after this. 

Before being able to insert himself into the situation taking place, Joe could only move through the growing crowd separating him from Langa and watch the rapid transition of the beginning of a race take place within a second’s notice. There they were, preparing themselves while the countdown traffic light gets set up to signal the start of a seemingly random beef. 

“Hey, what the hell happened here?”

A random skater next to Joe replied. “Not sure, if I’m being honest. Just saw Snow get really upset. Now there’s a scuffle.” 

He simply watched the skater shrug and tried listening in to the others’ gossip occurring around him.

Joe had no words. And it didn’t come from an extreme position of shock, but more from an area of confusion. What on earth had set off Langa? Even worse, tonight was one of the rare days Reki didn’t show up due to family matters that he mentioned the previous day. He didn’t have Cherry to consult either on what turned up. Everything about the current circumstances seems glum, but Joe knew he needed to step in as soon as he could.

Despite his need to understand the context, he was in no place to interrupt the countdown that echoed throughout the starting line. He’ll have to ask Langa once he wins against the other—he’s confident the other would definitely beat the nameless skater within a few minutes, but the question Joe has running in his head is why he even bothered at all. It was always someone else who would come up to Langa and never the other way around, until now.

Taking out his phone, he watched as the race took place. Except, unlike Langa’s usual approach when racing against others, the way he currently skated against the other person felt different in the way that Langa’s moves are more remorseless and jaw-dropping. 

The entire crowd was silent. The usual fire of cheers and celebrations had dissipated from thin air. For an area known for its liveliness, that well-known stamp was put into shame. 

Langa was _minutes_ ahead. 

It was an unspoken declaration that he was winning the beef by a storm unseen before, and it was a dreadful type; these are the storms any level-headed individual would stay wary of no matter what the forecast had dictated the morning of. The same type of storm that even the bravest wouldn’t bother confronting and push them to remain seated at home in fear of the following typhoon that might walk after its steps. 

A few seconds of watching the way Langa skated brought even Joe a sliver of fear in having to face that kind of opponent. Langa personified danger to the extent that danger itself might hesitate around his presence. Sooner or later, Langa had already crossed the factory and the finish line found there while his opponent had only been nearing the halfway point of the course. 

This time around, the crowd greeted Langa’s victory with roaring applause after a few members shared their hesitant claps. The entire space cheered his name and the echoes of Snow! Snow! Snow! were heard left and right. Instead of waiting around at the beginning line earlier, Joe made his way to the factory as well over the course of the race in order to approach Langa as soon as he could to address the seemingly odd behavior the other expressed. He may never tell him this but he still did in fact express a form of a familial bond to the younger. 

“Langa,” Joe called out to the other, jogging up to where he was staring down at the floor with his skateboard by his side. 

He was surprised by Langa’s appearance. He was expecting a more disheveled look considering the speed he went during the entire race, yet there he stood, barely sweating at all. Something about his posture seemed tense, however, and Joe couldn’t help but be concerned despite him winning the beef by a landslide. 

“Langa, you good?” Joe asked while slightly waving his hand around. 

Langa seemed like he got shook out of a daze before meeting Joe’s face. “Joe.” 

“Yeah?”

“I’m good.” he shrugged, face casting toward the floor once more. 

The crowd around them continued ushering praises and awe, and it seemed like the competitor was near the entrance of the factory. Kneeling over to grab his skateboard, Langa sluggishly walked toward Joe’s direction before exhaling deeply in disappointment.

“Actually, I think I may have messed up,” Langa said, his expression turning to complete a frown.

The two began to exit the factory, moving through the body masses fixated on whatever was going on. Joe was completely confused on the sudden change of demeanor Langa expressed, and Langa looked like he felt more strain at the moment than he did when skating at unprecedented speed a few minutes ago. 

“Langa… what exactly happened?” 

Joe knew that with a competitive space such as the S community, incidents like these are bound to happen—but Langa never seemed the type to be the catalyst at all; someone else would usually take up that job description. Definitely, he’s seen Langa accept impulsive requests or challenges from others, but this was the first time Joe witnessed the other take charge. 

Langa sighed again, his head bowing slightly. “I got pretty riled up, to say the least.”

If Joe’s eyebrows could furrow deeper, then it did. _What the hell could piss off Langa so much?_

“Do you wanna elaborate?”

The two continued to walk side by side, escaping the deafening population. Soft winds thrummed through the trees, and Joe was simply waiting for Langa’s response, if he had any. By this point, the two had forgotten the main event and didn’t wait if the other competitor had finished whatsoever. 

“Reki works really hard at what he does,” Langa starts. 

Joe suddenly recalled a time where his high school teacher explained to him a singular concept that he could apply to the stacks of worksheets he’d been bombarded with, and with that one advice alone, everything suddenly made sense. He felt the same exact thing at the short sentence Langa uttered.

He cleared his throat. “They said something about him, didn’t they?” 

Langa hummed in agreement. “Just annoying stuff.” 

Joe could only sigh in defeat since there was no other way to overcome the negative energy constantly swarming within Crazy Rock from time to time. People get too ahead of themselves, pride and arrogance become motivating factors, and the need to be the last one standing tends to be one of the leading causes for such a high-tension area. 

Before he could continue to say anything, Langa continued off where he last ended his abrupt explanation. “I know Reki can handle himself, and would probably get mad at me for even doing this too, but...” 

Joe looked at Langa’s face, and it effectively completed the rest of Langa’s sentence. He clearly was irritated both at himself and at the group that started the very root of the issue. 

“Well, as long as you’re aware. Maybe talk about this with Reki? Might be good to touch down on some bases,” Joe supplied, staring up at the sky to admire the constellations blanketing it. 

“I really should. Even I surprised myself when I asked that person for that beef.”

“Oh? Looks like it’s a surprise to the both of us then.” 

Langa rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, before agreeing with a mumble of a ‘yeah.’

“Look, Langa. I understand having one person basically… shake your whole world around until you realize you’re doing things that you really wouldn’t just because they’re involved. Just a tip from someone who’s been through that, take time to sort your feelings out,” Joe explained, sitting down on a ledge of a sidewalk. 

Langa stared at him in definitive respect. At this point, the newfound atmosphere Joe saw him in earlier had entirely evaporated, and he was the same Langa he met from the very first time. 

“Thanks, Joe. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“No problem,” Joe laughed. 

Joe thinks back to a certain pink-haired skater and continues to exhale from his nose from how easily he found Langa’s situation relatable now that he received context from it. He’s hoping for the two to talk it out since pining definitely was one of the worst things Joe had to go through. Ultimately, he didn’t want to cross the other boy’s boundaries, but he was welcome if he wanted to talk to him more about it. 

Though, at the end of it all, it was definitely a surprise to see Langa’s backbone amidst all the events that transpired. There’s always something new to discover every waking day. 

—

Miya would take it upon himself to fight birds if given the chance. 

On top of their incessant chirping, the sun was harshly stabbing his back as well. The uniform he donned wasn’t helping either. Everything altogether was a tragedy in Miya’s perspective, and he can’t wait to go home where the air conditioning was available for use. 

Nearing a vending machine to grab a can of something cold, he starts running through his head all the homework he has to do as soon as possible. An official tournament was going to be hosted near his school and he would rather focus his effort in that regard. 

Mindlessly scrolling through his phone for any updates, Miya suddenly heard some voices— when he looked up, it was a mini skate park inhabited by two people he’s grown close with over time. Reki and Langa were there, practicing some new flips with Reki filming Langa’s progress. 

Miya was about to go bother the two of them but stopped when he heard Langa slightly yell. 

“Reki! Look, I’m doing it.” 

Any other time, Miya would probably ignore that kind of sentence and continue with what he intended to do and terrorize their poor souls, but the way Langa said it made him stop in his tracks. It was so _fond_. 

Maybe it was because he always saw the two in a more public setting with other people, in spaces for competition and fire. He’s never heard Langa sound like that and it felt like coming up to them would be intruding on a space not meant for him. It reminded him of the way his own parents would interact with one another, oddly enough. 

“What the hell! That was so cool, you got that down quick,” Reki said with clear impressed exasperation. 

Langa got off his skateboard and jogged to Reki’s side and it was only now that Miya realized how close those two got; their personal bubbles might as well have been one and the same. 

Miya keeps a keen eye when observing other people; it’s one of the reasons why he’s gotten so far within the S community in the first place. So when greeted with the sight before him, he was confident that there was something between the two that he’ll temporarily label as something more than friends.

He realized he didn’t want to keep watching whatever the two were doing and stuck out a tongue to no one in particular since he had better things to do. Though, it’ll definitely stay in his mind. He always assumed Langa was the type to stay indifferent to everyone else, but clearly, Reki was a special case. 

It crossed his mind briefly that maybe Langa was secretly an affectionate person and Miya simply hadn’t seen that side more, but he wasn’t dumb. The way Langa acted around Reki seemed specific to him and him alone and he was sure captivated was a fitting term when describing the blue-haired student. 

Distant laughter from the two resounded throughout the quiet park, and Miya could only sigh. He had the urge to tell what he saw to other people in order to gain a sort of understanding. Reki, he knew, was energetic and overall buddy-buddy with everyone he meets, but Langa? 

Miya scoffs. 

Looks like it’ll be somewhat of a secret to keep for now. Or maybe he’ll bring it up with Langa the next time they have a plan for a beef. He’ll have to wait and see. 

He turned his phone on and realized he needed to get home soon. Miya wished he spent more time going over his assignments than he did breaking down his friends’ interactions. It was whatever—he had better things to worry about instead of some lovestruck souls.

—

“Langa.”

A hum. 

“Langa.” 

Another hum.

“Langa, I can’t work when you’re wrapped around me like this.” 

The two were stationed in Reki’s bedroom, with the afternoon sun making its way down the horizon, casting an orange tint in the place they were in. Crickets were heard outside and it served as background noise for them. Reki was sitting in between Langa’s legs, while Langa was leaning behind Reki’s bed. 

Reki placed down the wheels he was tinkering with and sighed dramatically. 

“I’m going to grab a drink, I’m starting to sweat,” Reki started, getting ready to move from his spot. 

Except, Langa’s hold tightened around the redhead’s waist before Reki could even move an inch. Nestling his head onto Reki’s back, he mumbled a soft no. Reki frowned and pouted, but stopped moving and decided to stay where he was. No matter what the other does, Reki realized he has such a soft spot for Langa.

“You know, I never saw you as the type to like hugs at all,” Reki emphasized, staring into the window of his room to view the waving trees.

“Me neither,” Langa said. 

Reki didn’t know what else to say, so he decided to indulge in the peaceful silence that fell between them. Something about being engulfed in Langa’s arms was extremely comforting to Reki and his earlier need to grab a drink dispersed. Nevermind the slight drying his throat experienced a few minutes back—he found himself not wanting to trade his spot at the moment for anything else in the world.

It had only been a few months since he met Langa, but it was one of the best incidents to have happened by chance. Had he not caught the skateboard from moving away back then, Reki doubted that he’d become closer friends with the other. It’s a fact that he’s a social butterfly, but without any relevant or similar interests with a person, it’s difficult to maintain a close bond. 

Yet, here he was spending time with Langa since it’s routine at this point. There wasn’t a day where the two of them would be found without the other; it’s a known fact that they come as a pair now, and Reki wouldn’t have it any other way. He cherished the taller boy’s presence with unexplainable words. 

“Reki.” 

“Is it your turn now to start saying my name?” Reki chuckled. 

Reki didn’t have to look behind him to see Langa frowning, he just knew that he was. He started to thrum his fingers to some beat he remembered in his head on top of Langa’s arms currently hugged around him. The song may have been something Langa played when they were practicing for a new ollie, but he couldn’t exactly recall the title. 

“What is it?” Reki prodded after noticing that the other didn’t finish elaborating. 

He felt Langa shift a bit so the side of his face was basically almost flat against Reki’s back. Reki found Langa’s body warmth reassuring in a way and would rather have his limbs fall asleep than get up to stretch.

“Reki, you’re really amazing,” Langa said. 

The crickets outside seemed to have increased in volume and the humid air felt like prickling Reki’s neck. 

“Huh? Well, of course I am!” Reki guaranteed with a short and quick meaningful laugh. He continued to tap a consistent rhythm on Langa’s hand.

“No, I mean it. I don’t think people appreciate you enough.” 

Before Reki could get a word out to whatever Langa had suddenly sprung on him all of a sudden, Langa continued. 

“You’re always doing your best to make people around you feel better. I struggled a lot when I first moved here, but meeting you really did change my life. It’s not an exaggeration to say you became the reason I found myself smiling again.”

Reki wanted to turn around, to get up, to do something, but all he could do was sit completely still. His hands felt a bit clammy, and he stopped tapping on Langa’s arms. The room felt obnoxiously silent despite the noticeable noises from earlier.

“I got into a fight, I guess, a few days ago.”

“What—”

“I didn’t like what they said about you. So I challenged them to a beef. I kind of felt bad after that, though,” Langa continued, voice softening.

“Holy shit, I thought you meant you got into a physical fistfight. But, what did they even say? I never really minded what people said about me.” 

A white lie. 

“A fistfight… No, but, nevermind what they said. Their opinions don't matter since they don’t know half the things you do at all,” Langa rebutted, sounding like an upset toddler. 

Even if Reki wanted to face Langa, he couldn’t. The other still had his head essentially burrowed to Reki’s back. Despite his curiosity, he knew Langa wouldn’t budge at all from where he was.

“It was really annoying. The reason why I got this far is because of you. People may not look into it much, but the skateboard you made for me is why I’m who I am now in Crazy Rock,” Langa said. “You’re so important.” 

The thrumming in Reki’s ribcage overwhelmed him. He didn’t even know what to say. He thought he was at a loss for words earlier, but now not a single word was coming up in his brain. How does anyone respond to such a heartfelt confession like that? Reki could easily deduce and analyze a complicated skateboard manual and figure out methods to substitute parts for it and make it work, but when it came to such a simple yet profound statement, his mind blanked. 

“Your heart’s beating really fast.”

Reki pinched the skin on Langa’s wrist as a response. “What do you expect me to say after hearing all that?” he hurriedly replied with a tinge similar to stress found within his words.

“Nothing much. I just wanted to let you know that you mean a lot to me.”

“You suck,” Reki lamely responds. 

Langa hummed once more with Reki feeling the vibrations from his back. He chose to move his sight from the window to the small vase of Asters found on the side of his table. The purple of it remained as vibrant as ever. 

Wordlessly, Reki found himself lifting Langa’s left hand so he could intertwine his right one over his. Langa let it happen, offering no resistance, and quickly the two somehow found themselves physically closer than they were earlier. Right now, the world only composed of the two of them—it felt like nothing else mattered. 

“You always manage to catch me off guard,” Reki said, lightly lifting the other’s hand so he could play with it. 

“Mm. I’ve been getting a lot of that,” Langa replied before deciding to rub his thumb over Reki’s hand. 

Langa moved from laying his cheeks flat onto Reki’s back to putting his chin on top of the other’s shoulder. Comfortable silence came easy to them, but right now Reki is seemingly flustered by the comments Langa shared and didn’t know how to properly react to it. Appreciation swirled in him, definitely, but attempting to convey that very same gratitude into communicable words was a new difficulty in itself.

“You don’t have to say anything. I just felt like telling that to you,” Langa said, seemingly detecting Reki’s slight distress. 

Reki sighed in defeat. And victory. Or who knows. He felt all sorts of feelings but loved was definitely the strongest one—he merely felt frustrated in not being able to tell Langa exactly this. For someone who had a train of words ready to go at any given minute, everything currently felt stuck in his throat. 

“Idiot,” Reki said.

Langa laughed.

“... thank you.” 

Without even looking, Reki knew the other had the warmest smile on his face. It definitely hadn’t been the first time that they shared instances like this, but it always managed to surprise Reki. Others may not know it, but Langa has a habit of opening his heart up like this here and there, and it does backflips in Reki’s entire being as he got the special opportunity to hear such sincere words. 

The two remained seated like that, bodies meshed to each other and hands locked. Even though Reki wanted to work on fixing up Langa’s wheels, he decided that this was a much better alternative. Other tasks can be postponed, but _this_ couldn’t. 

He wanted to say so many things. His heart was sickeningly full in the best way possible. But for now, Reki trusted that Langa knew what he was feeling without having to spell it out in bold letters.

(Langa did.)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is basically the first piece I wrote for any fandom ever. It was really intimidating having to explore characters in this kind of setting, but I surprisingly had a lot of fun. Looking forward to dedicating more of my time to this amazing series. Thank you for reading it! I'd like to hear your thoughts about it :) 
> 
> You can find me on twitter at @peacesignclub ! I usually just tweet about Sk8 there.


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